Comparison

Aki vs Action Codenames

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Aki

Learn Māori vocabulary and phrases through engaging levels and challenges. Navigate through a waka, avoid obstacles, and master new words. Compete with friends and track your progress.

Highlights
  • Vocabulary and phrase learning
  • Gamified levels and challenges
  • Progress tracking
  • Multiplayer challenges
  • Leaderboards
Read full description

Aki - A Māori language vocabulary and phrase learning App. Paddle your waka and escape the taniwha by learning and identifying words and phrases. Finish one level with six dots, then start the next level with a whole new set of words. Once you’ve completed all four levels, play them again and challenge yourself to complete the levels in the quickest time possible with the fewest mistakes. Challenge your friends and family to play and compare their progress and achievements through Game Center.

About

Action Codenames

A fast-paced, team-based word association game for parties and gatherings. Players give and guess clues based on a 5x5 grid of words, aiming to identify their team's secret words before the opposing team or hitting a losing card. Offers offline play and multiple languages.

Highlights
  • Team-based word association gameplay
  • 5x5 grid of secret words
  • Spymaster clue-giving mechanic
  • Offline play support
  • Multilingual options
  • Built-in rules and strategy tips
Features
Read full description

Codenames is a fast, team‑based word association game built for parties, family nights, study breaks, and quick office fun. Two teams—Red and Blue—race to find all of their secret words on a 5×5 grid of 25 cards. The twist: touch the black card and you lose instantly. Each round has two roles. The Spymaster sees the entire key and gives exactly one clue: a single word plus a number. Operatives discuss and guess based on that clue. With “Animal 2”, you may guess up to three times (number + 1). Picking your color lets you continue; choosing an opponent or neutral card ends your turn; hitting the black card ends the game on the spot. Red needs 9 words; Blue needs 8. A clean, modern interface keeps everyone focused: a clear current‑turn indicator, crisp card layout, smooth animations, score cards with progress bars, and handy one‑tap controls (New Game, End Turn, View Team). The dedicated Team view lists your team’s words—revealed and remaining—so you can decide whether to press your luck or bank the lead. If the game ends, a friendly Game Over screen summarizes the result and lets you restart immediately. Built‑in rules cover the objective, setup (9/8/7/1 split), roles, “clue + number” format, restrictions, and examples. Practical tips and an advanced strategy section help Spymasters craft multi‑card clues (categories, hypernyms, shared context) and help Operatives debate links, avoid traps, and converge on the safest picks. Robust local word libraries power high replayability: fruits, vehicles, school supplies, animals, weather and nature, places and buildings, family, sports, seasons and nature, food and drinks, colors, occupations, electronics, clothing, toys and games, gems and minerals, and more. Every new game shuffles a fresh 25‑word grid with the asymmetric distribution that keeps tension high and choices meaningful. Multilingual and classroom‑friendly: English, German, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean. Switch languages instantly; the grid regenerates on the spot. Fully playable offline—no sign‑up or connection required—so you can play anywhere. Why you’ll love it: Quick to teach, deep to master; perfect for mixed groups Laughs, tension, and real “aha!” moments in minutes Fast turns and near‑infinite replay value Thoughtful design that prioritizes readability Start a new game in seconds, give your first clue, and watch the table come alive. This digital adaptation pays homage to the classic party word game by Czech designer Vlaada Chvátil—faithful to team spirit and clever associations.

Screenshots

Aki4 screens
Action Codenames3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aki at 78% against Action Codenames's 0%. Aki also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aki holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Aki's written reviews are positive against 0% of Action Codenames's.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aki versus Action Codenames: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAkiAction Codenames
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS6.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of Otago梦成 李

Customer experience

Aki

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%

Action Codenames

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Aki

No in-app purchases

None

Action Codenames

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Aki free?
Aki is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Action Codenames free?
Action Codenames is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Aki or Action Codenames?
Aki is rated higher. Aki averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Action Codenames averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Aki or Action Codenames have ads?
Neither Aki nor Action Codenames shows ads.

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